Labeling-machine.



l vPa'amted Sept. I7, 190|'. E. N. GlLFlLLAN G, E. T. MGKA|G.

No. 632,6".v

LABELING MACHINE.

(Application led Aug. 29, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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(Application led Aug. 29, 1900.)

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LABELING MACHINE.

(Application led Aug. 29, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Shasta-Sheet 3.

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i UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

ESSINGTON N. GILFILLAN AND EDDY THOMAS MOKAIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNORS TO NEW YORK LABELING MACHINE COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK.

MACHINE.

SBECIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,61 1, datedSeptember 17, 1901 Application filed August 29, 1900. Serial NoL 28,378.(No model.)

To @ZZ whom. t may concern/.-

Beit known that we, EssINeToN N. GILFIL- LAN and EDDY THOMAS MCKAIG,citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook, in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Labeling-Machines, of which the foll apparatus, thelabel-applying device, and the pressure-pad or label-smoother.

label pressure or smoothing pad.

With these ends in view the invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts bywhich the said objects and certain In the said drawings, Figure 1 is aside ele' vation of our lmproved machine, showing the handle depressedfor simultaneously applying paste to one bottle, sticking a label toanother, and pressing or smoothing the adhered label againstV a third.Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the handle partly raised, releasing thebottles. Fig. Sis a similar view showing the handle in its position offull lift, t-he bottles having been advanced. Fig. 4 is a plan view.Fig. 4EL is a detailV view of a modified form of stop hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a Fig. 6 is aperspective View of the spring-arm for lifting the same. Fig. 7 is aperspective View of a bottle-stop hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is asection thereof, taken on line 8 8, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is an enlargedtransverse sectionI of the bottle-runway and paste apparatus, taken online 9 9, Fig. 4; and FigylO is a perspective view of the label holdingand applying device.

Our present invention is designed to advance a plurality bf bottlesintermittently and successively along a runway over or con-y tiguous toa paste apparatus which appliesv pasteto the bottle, a label-holderwhich applies the Vlabel to the paste-coated bottle, and a pressurepador smoothing device which presses the label firmly against the bottleand smoothes out the wrinkles, the three said label-attaching devi-cesbeing raised simultaneously into engagement with three of the bottles atone time when the bottles come to rest.

1 is a frame upon the upper side of which is supported thebottle-runway, upon which the bottles 2 3 4 5 slide, and which runwayconsists of two parallel bars 6 7, having bottle-supporting ianges 8,and which bars 6 7 are relatively adjustable laterally to adapt themachine for various sizes of bottles. The bottles are held againstlifting from the runway by two overhead bars 9, each having at each enda lateral arm 10, which are supported by nuts l1 on threaded standards12, one of which passes through each of the arms 10 and is also providedwith jam-nut 13 above the arm. The threaded standards render the bars 9vertically adjustable to provide for bottles of various thicknesses. Thebars 9 are connected together at both ends for the sake of greaterrigidity, and they constitute a guideway for a sliding feeder-carriage14,v which is provided with a plurality of dogs or other suitabledevices in the form of pawls 15 16 17, pivoted to plates 18 on thecarriage and depending through suitable openings in the carriage andalso through the slot or space between thebars 9, so as to bel capableof engaging the bottles when the carriage is advanced, but rising andsliding over them when the carriage is retracted. The bars 9,

if necessary, may be provided with lianges 19 2O for holding carriage 14from being derailed. l 3

The carriage 14 receives a reciprocating movement forintermittentlyadvancing the botties from a rod 21, pivotally connectedto the carriage by bracket 22 at one end and to the upper end of arocker-arm l23 at theother. r

The lower end of this rocker-arm 23 is pivoted loosely to a transverserolck-shaft 24, but

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is provided with stud 25engaging in slot 26- in one end of a link 27,whose other end is pivoted to an arm 28 on shaft 29, to which anoperating handle or lever 30 is secured.

By the described means it will be seen that each time the handle 30 isdepressed, as in Fig. l, the carriage 14 will be withdrawn or retracted,with the pawls 15 16 17 in readiness to engage the bottles n 3 4 whenthe handle is again raised, as in Fig. 3, or force the bottles forward,when by again depressing the handle the pawls will return to engage anew bottle, which may have been inserted at the side f the runway at therear end, a stop or gage bar 3l being mounted on the opposite side ofthe runway for limiting the transverse movement of the bottle and gagingits position with reference Io the runway. The fourth bottle is engagedbythe one 4 in the rear, and thereby pushed from the bottleru n way.

Located under the runway and in line therewith are the paste apparatus,the label-holder,A and the pressure-pad, which will now be described.The paste apparatus consists of any suitable-trough or paste-pan 32,suitably supported on the frame l and having ears 33, in which ispivoted a rocking frame 34, in one side of which are secured a number ofU- shaped wires or flexible arms 35, whose cross portions 35a are bentupwardly above the plane of their main portions and which portions 35aare adapted to lift the adhesive from the trough 32 and apply the sameto the bottle on the runway above, The portions 35a being iiexible andindependent readily adapt themselves to the panel or other surface ofthe bottle. The other side of lhe frame 34 is pvoted to the upper end ofa rod 36, whose lower end is provided with two adjustable studs 37 38,between which plays a block 39, sleeved on the rod 36 and pivoted to anarm 40, secured to shaft 29, so that as the lever is raised and lowereda like motion will be imparted to the paste fingers or wires 35, anyexcess of motion of the arm 40 being lost by a proper adjustment of thelugs 37 38.

Next in the line of the bottle-runway is the label-holder. This is bestshown in Fig. 10 and consists of a follower 41, detachably secured to across-head 42 by means of a plate 43 and screw 44, and which cross-headis provided with arms 45, having perforated ears 46, sliding on verticalguide-rods 47. The upper end of the follower 4l is rounded, as shown at48, and is incased by a comparatively loose-fitting box 49, whose upperend is open save for two slight flanges 50, one on each side, whichengage the edges of the labels 51 and hold the latter in place, but notso firmly that the uppermost one may not be readily withdrawn by theadhesiveness of the paste previously applied to the bottle. The labelsmay be inserted in the box or casing 49 through a side opening 52, andthe follower being curved it will be seen that the labels will assume alike form, and consequently be bowed up in a form best suited forengaging in the panel of the bottle. As the labels are withdrawn one ata time the box or casing 49 settles down upon the remainder of thesupply by its own weight, with the side projections or flanges 50resting on the top label. After the bottle arrives at the position ofthe bottle 4 the label-holder is raised and the top label pressed firmlyagainst the surface of the panel or other part of the bottle previouslysupplied with paste by the members or paste-fingers 35a by an arm on theshaft 29 engaging under the cross-head 42 and acting to lift the lattereach time the handle 30 is depressed. This arm preferably consists of aU-shaped flexible strip of wire 53, which has its ends coiled on theshaft 29 in the form of a spring and its intermediate portion embracingand engaging under cross-head 42, thus permitting the shaft 29 to rockthroughout the full motion required by the carriage 14 without causingexcessive motion of the labelholder or excessive pressure thereofagainst the bottle. When the pressure of the arm 53 is released, thecross-head 42 and label-holder descend by gravity.

After the bottle passes the label-holder it comes to rest over thepressure-pad (better shown in Fig. 5) and which consists of a pad 54, ofanysuitable resilient material, mounted on the upper cross-bar 55 of aframe having side members 56, provided with perforated ears 57, slidingon vertical guide-rods 5S. A lower cross-bar 59 of this frame rests uponan antifriction-roller 60, journaled on the cross member of a U-shapedarm 6l. (Shown in Fig. 6.) This arm 61 is also fiexible and preferablyconsists of a wire or flexible strip coiled on and secured to shaft 24,so that each time the handle 30 is depressed the arm 61 will lift thepressure-pad or label-smoothing pad 54 and force the same firmly againstthe label adhering to the bottle, thus completing the labeling operationand leaving the bottle to be pushed off the bottle-runway by the nextbottle in the row. These three operations e., applying paste to thebottle, applying the label to the paste-coated surface, and pressing thelabel against the bottle--occur sim ultaneously on three separatebottles, the bottles being advanced a step farther each time the handle30 is elevated, as before described. In order that the pressure-pad mayrespond promptly to the movement of the handle 30 without waiting formotion to be transmitted through the link 27, the shaft 24 is providedwith a crank-arm 62, fixed thereto and connected to arm 28 by link 63.

The feed dogs orpawls 15 16 17 are so spaced that when the carriagecomes to rest the portion to be labeled of each of the three bottlesengaged thereby will fall directly over the paste apparatus, thelabel-holder, and the pressure-pad, respectively, and in order that thislimit of movement of the carriage may be varied to adapt the machine forvarious sizes of bottles an adjustable stop 64 is located on theguide-bars 9 in the path of the ICO IIO

- carriage. This stop 64 is secured in place by set-screws 65.

During rapid operation of the machine the bottles are liable to slidetoo far, and to the end that this result may be avoided bottle# stopsare provided for arresting each bottle at its proper place. One of thesestops is shown in Fig. 7 and consists of a dog 66, secured to a verticalshaft or stem 67, journaled in a bracket 68, which has a base-piece 68a,provided with adjustable means of attachment to the frame l. The upperend of stem 67 is secured to arm 69, upon which is pivoted a block orkeeper 70, through which slides a rod 7l, having a number of adjustableknockers 72, which when the rod 7l moves in one direction engage theblock 70 and throw the dogs 66 into the line of movement of the bottlesand when the rod is moved in the opposite direction engage the blocks 70(on the opposite side) and throw the dogs 66 out of engagement. Thisreciprocating motion is imparted to the rod 7l by a lug 72X, secured tothe carriage and playing between a head 73 on the rod and a lug 74 alsothereon and which is adjustable so that that the engaging movement ofthe dogs 66 may be properly timed.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of bottle-stop which differs fromthat j ust described in that the arm 69a (69 in Fig. 7) projects in theopposite direction to that of the dog 66, (66 in Fig 7,) so that the dog66 will move in the direction of the line of motion of the bottle whendisengaging it and in the opposite div rection when coming intoengagement, and the dog 66a is also provided with a buffer 75. The rod7l instead of sliding through the' block 70, as in Fig. 7, is securedthereto by set-screw 76, the lug 74 being set a sufficient distance fromthe head 73 to permit the carriage to travel the requisite distance backand forth before actuating the bottle-stops.

The term bottle is used herein in describing and claiming the inventionas a generic term covering all objects susceptible of being labeled bythis invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a labeling-machine the combination of an elongated rigidbottle-runway, a paste apparatus and a label-holder arranged adjacent toand adapted to approach one side of said runway, means arranged on theother side of said runway, for holding the bottles thereagainst,opposite said paste apparatus and label-holder, a reciprocating feederhaving a plurality of disengageable devices for successively advancing abottle to a point .iirst opposite said paste apparatus and next oppositesaid label-holder and means operatively connecting said feeder and pasteapparatus and label-holder in time to cause said paste apparatus andlabel-holder to engage the bottles on said runway after the feedingmovement of said feeder ceases, substantially as set forth.

2. lIn a labeling-machine the combination of a bottle-runway, areciprocating feeder for advancing the bottles along said runway,label-applying devices and an operating-handle having loose connectionwith said feeder and elastic connection with said label-applyingdevices, substantially as set forth.

3. In a labeling-machine, the combination of a bottle-runway, a pasteapparatus, a label-holder, means for advancing the bottles to positionsover said paste apparatus and label-holder,stops for arresting themovement of the bottles on said `runway and means for raising said pasteapparatus and label-holder, substantially as set forth.

4. In a labeling-machine the combination of a bottle-runway, means forintermittently advancing the bottles along said runway, disengageablestops actuated in unison with said means for arresting the movement ofthe bottles on said runway, and label-attaching devices, substantiallyas set forth.

In a labeling-machine the combination of a runway adjust-able forvarious sizes of bottles, a feeder for -advancing the bottles along saidrunway, an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of said feeder and1abel-applyin g device operatively related to the bottle-runway,substantially as set forth.

6. In a labeling-machine the combination of means for holding the bottleto be labeled, a label-holder consisting of a follower having a roundedend, and a casing fitting over said rounded end and having an open endprovided with projections for engaging the edges of the labels, andanaperture in its side for the insertion of the labels, and means forbringing the bottle and labels in said open end of the casing together,substantially as set forth.

7. In a labelingmachine the combination of a bottle-runway, areciprocating feeder having a plurality of disengageable pawls forintermittently advancing the bottles along said runway, a pasteapparatus, a label-holder and means for causing the bottles on saidrunway to be engaged by said paste apparatus and label-holder, saidfeeder and means be-v ingoperatively connected and so timed withrelation to each other that the feeder will cease its feeding movementbefore the bottle and label-holder engage one another, substantially asset forth.

S. In a labeling-machine the combination of a bottle-runway, areciprocating feeder for advancing the bottles along said runway, apaste apparatus, a label-holder and a pressure device arranged in a linelengthwise of said runway, an arm connected with said reciprocatingfeeder for moving the same, a crank-arm, a rod connecting said armstogether and having sliding connection with one of them, an operatinghandle or lever operatively connected with said crank-arm, means foroperatively connecting said lever with said paste apparatus, a yieldingoperative connection between said handle or lever and label-holder forforcing the latter toward IOO IZO

the bottle, and an operative connection between said crank-arm andpressure device having a yielding medium for forcing the pressure deviceagainst the hott-le, substantially as set forth.

9. In a labeling-machine the combination of a runway for the bottles, apaste apparatus, a label-holder and a pressure device arranged in a linelengthwise of said runway, a reciprocating feeder for the bottles, anoperative arm for reciprocating said feeder, a shaft on which said armis loosely pivoted, a spring secured to said shaft and acting againstsaid pressure device, a second shaft, a spring secured to said secondshaft and acting against said label-holder, a crank-arm on said secondshaft operatively connected with said paste apparatus, crank-arms onsaid shafts respectively counected together, a link connecting saidfirst arm with one of the crank-arms on said second shaft and havingsliding connection with one of said arms and'an operating handle orlever connected with one of said shafts, substantially as set forth.

E. N. GILFILLAN. EDDY THOMAS MCKAIG.

Nitnessesz F. A. HOPKINS, EDNA B. JOHNSON.

